


Three is never a Crowd

by BooksandKpop



Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, First Date, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Multi, Polyamorous relationship, Polyamory, Realisation of feelings, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-02 17:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14549283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooksandKpop/pseuds/BooksandKpop
Summary: Taeyang and Hwiyoung were the world's cutest couple. No matter how much Inseong and Jaeyoon vyed for that position, they could never win over the softest pair. They were literal "Couple Goals", everyone knew that they were going to spend their lives together.There was one problem. Chani was in love with both of them.





	Three is never a Crowd

"Hwi no we are not doing that!"

"Come on Tae it will be so fun!"

"Maybe for you ya big nerd, I have a reputation to uphold."

"Your reputation is just you being a literal sunshine. This is not going to affect that in any way."

"Hwi-"

"Babe~"

"Ugh - fine."

"Yay! You're the best sweetheart! I'll go tell Dawon-hyung right now!"

"We have tickets for that show at 8!"

"I'll meet you at the theatre!"

 

And with that Hwiyoung was out the door, blowing kisses as he ran off in delight. Taeyang sighed as if he was frustrated but really it was just him being overly fond of his boyfriend and his childish obsessions. Chani quashed the rising jealousy - a daily task. Taeyang made his way over to the couch and threw himself onto it face first. It must be tiring keeping up with all the energy Hwiyoung had. Chani had experience with that, being Hwiyoung's best friend for their 3 years in college so far. But nothing could really compare to the relationship Hwiyoung and Taeyang shared. It was the definition of perfect. They met as children at camp but lost contact before reuniting in university and falling madly in love. They were both bright and caring souls with a passion for dance and music. Everyone knew that their relationship was one that was going to last.

 

If only Chani hadn't fallen for them. Both of them - at the same time.

 

At first, it was just Hwiyoung. They had a lot of shared classes and a similar tendency for sitting in the back row of lectures, so it was natural that they became very close friends very quickly. Hwiyoung was one of the few people Chani found could keep up with his sense of humour and penchant for childish pranks. His cousin Youngbin was in his final year at the same university when Chani had started; calling them a pair of menaces on a daily basis, but he knew Chani was happy so he laughed anyway. At the time, Chani didn't know Hwiyoung had a boyfriend. They kept it fairly quiet when they first got together, not wanting to tell people until they were sure they would work. If Chani had known Hwiyoung was taken, maybe he wouldn't have fallen for him. But then again, it would have been hard not to fall for the mischevious twinkle in his eyes as they schemed in the back of their International Relations lectures. 

It was about two months into his first semester when Chani met Taeyang. Youngbin insisted that he join the universities dance team, dragging him along to the open calls. Since he was a natural dancer, he got in without even needing a second audition. And that's when he met Taeyang. He was only a second year and yet he was the star of the team - well, he was the sun actually. The two of them would spend hours in the studio, creating and rehearsing new choreographies and perfecting old routines. It wasn't surprising that Chani fell for him as they lay on the sweat-soaked practice room floor at two in the morning. 

Chani always knew he was poly, even as a young teenager his heart was always open to loving more than one person. His first girlfriend called him crazy and a cheater when he opened up to her about it, and so he never shared with anyone else. His old tutor Rowoon knew, only because he acted more like a mother hen and pestered Chani until he told him why he was so upset one day. Having a crush on one person is hard enough. Having a crush on two separate people at the same time was torture, especially since he thought he would have to choose. Rowoon understood and just told him that one day he would find the right people who would understand and accept him the way he was. Chani was still waiting for that day.

The day that Hwiyoung and Taeyang announced they were dating at the start of their second semester was quite possibly the worst day of Chani's life. Imagine falling for two people, opening up and developing a strong relationship with them; only to find out they were seeing each other the whole time. Chani drowned his sorrows in soju and it was Hwiyoung's older brother Inseong who had to pick his drunk ass off the bar floor and carry him home. Home, of course, was where the source of his problems lay. Because at Christmas time Chani moved in with Hwiyoung and Taeyang in a student apartment just off campus, still unaware of their relationship. One month after moving in they announced they had been dating for three months and were in love - it broke Chani's heart. He still doesn't remember that night, but he wished on every star that he could forget his hangover the day afterwards.

Since then, Chani has come to terms with his love for the couple - mostly. The three of them still lived together, had done for the last three years. Chani and Hwiyoung were both in their final year and Taeyang had graduated the year previously, but he had stayed to do a post-grad. Chani had a room of his own while the other two shared the bigger room. It made sense, of course it did. And that would be fine if it wasn't for the nights when Hwiyoung was away on overnight field trips for classes and Taeyang snuck into his bed to cuddle. Or when Hwiyoung was feeling nervous before a presentation and requested to stay the night in Chani's room for comfort. He could never deny his two best friends of anything, not even when it tore him apart inside knowing that he could never be a part of what they had.

A whine from the couch snapped Chani back to reality. Taeyang had turned his face to look at him where he was sitting at their dining table doing work. He looked so cute with his cheeks squished against the cushions and his freshly dyed pink hair looking like cotton candy on the top of his head. Chani smiled at him softly received a blinding grin in response. Taeyang righted himself so he was sitting properly on the couch facing Chani. He had an expectant look on his face, which never meant good things.

 

"What is it now?"

"You know what next Friday is right?"

"The fourteenth?"

"No - well, I mean yeah. But what's so special about it?"

"Umm - it's not Friday the 13th?"

"Chani!"

"Hey, you know I'm bad at guessing games. Why do you think I'm studying Law?"

"Because you have a great poker face and like wearing suits."

"They are both very valid reasons."

"Come on, this shouldn't be something you have to guess!"

"It's not anyone's birthday so I don't - oh."

"Oh?"

"It's your 3-year public anniversary with Hwiyoung isn't it?"

"Ding dong dang! You got it."

"Right, sorry I forgot."

"It's alright. We're going out for dinner to celebrate."

"Yeah, cool. I'll make plans to do something else over the weekend then."

"No no, that's why I'm telling you this. We want you to come with us."

"You want me to join you on your anniversary dinner? Won't that put a bit of a dampener on the mood?"

"We want you to be there, you've been part of this relationship as much as me and Hwi have over the last three years."

"Tae -"

"Please Chani? It's just dinner, we've done it a hundred times before."

 

That was the truth. The three of them often went for dinner together, or to see a movie or going to the arcade or the beach. They went on all sorts of fun dates, the three of them. Only they weren't really dates for Chani. Taeyang and Hwiyoung were on a date and he was just tagging along, always the third wheel. He wanted to say no this time, wanted to stop putting his heart through the unnecessary torture. But Taeyang was pouting and looking at him with pleading eyes and he just couldn't bring himself to say no. Even if he continued to argue, once Hwiyoung got home they would team up on him and he was never able to fight back against both the loves of his life. So he nodded and resigned himself to another evening of heartbreak. It might be worth it though for the illuminating smile and tight hug received from Chani in response to his agreement.

 

"Thank you so much Chani! It's going to be great I promise."

 

Chani just nodded and tried to focus on his work again. Taeyang skipped off to his room to shower and get dressed for the show they were going to see tonight. All three of them, as usual. It definitely wasn't healthy to do this to his heart all the time, but he was weak for Taeyang's pouty lips and Hwiyoung's puppy eyes. They were going to be the death of him, and he couldn't even say he minded. After ten minutes spent staring at the same section of text, Chani realised he wasn't going to get anything else done that evening. So he packed away his books and went to get himself ready. It was some ballet show that one of Taeyang's dance students was taking part in, and she had gotten tickets for the three of them to go see the opening show. Taeyang was so excited to see the dancing and Hwiyoung was just happy to see his boyfriend happy. And Chani - he just couldn't say no.

Throwing on a simple pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt/jumper combo Chani was ready to go. He didn't bother with hair or makeup, it wasn't like he was trying to impress anyone. Instead, he just went back out to the living room and collapsed onto the couch, scrolling aimlessly through his SNS sites while he waited for Taeyang to finish getting ready. He got bored of Twitter and Instagram quickly, so checking that Taeyang hadn't appeared yet, Chani switched to his Tumblr account. Scrolling through didn't show much of interest, he was about to close out of it when one more scroll down showed something that made his chest constrict. It was a simple picture of three people's hands together, and on each of their wrists was a matching tattoo. He checked the tags and confirmed that they were indeed a poly couple, and he wanted it so badly that his heart began to hurt. He heard Taeyang coming out of his room so Chani liked the post before closing down the app. 

 

"You ready to go Chani? I just text Hwiyoung and he'll wait for us outside the venue."

"Yeah I'm ready, just let me grab a drink of water and we'll go."

"Are you alright? Your voice sounds a bit strange."

"I'm fine, just something stuck in my throat."

 

He gulped down a large glass of water in the kitchen and took a few steadying breaths before meeting Taeyang at the door. He put on his best smile in response to the worried look he got and they headed off. Taeyang insisted on driving even though they could easily get there by bus. Chani would never complain though, he loved relaxing into the leather seats and listening to Taeyang singing along to whatever song came on the radio. They reached the venue in good time and sure enough, Hwiyoung was standing there waiting as promised. He grinned and waved enthusiastically to them as they walked up. The three of them walked inside and took their seats just in time for the show. Chani for some reason had the middle seat, and despite offers to switch Hwiyoung and Taeyang were more than happy on either side of him. For the entire performance all he could focus on was Taeyang's gasps of delight when his student appeared on stage and his proud applause whenever she did something incredible, and Hwiyoungs awed murmurs about the music and the set and the costumes. Eventually, the dancers all appeared on stage to take their final bows and Taeyang dragged them both out of their seats while they clapped. As the house lights came back on the delight that was evident on Taeyang's face over the entire show was enough to make the night worth it.

Chani sat in the backseat on the ride back, it was always the way. The couple chatted in hushed tones in the front but he paid them no heed, his mind instead was wandering back to the tattoos he saw earlier. Glancing up front, he wondered if he would ever get the chance to have a relationship like that of his roommates. By the time they arrived home Chani's head was swimming with wishes that could never come true. He wished Hwiyoung and Taeyang goodnight and went straight to his room, not wanting to deal with their love any more that night. As he tried to fall asleep, in his head all he could see were three golden hearts interlinked - forever embedded in the skin on his body. 

 

He woke up unnaturally early the next morning, his phone read 6:37 am. Chani pulled himself out of bed, rubbing his heavy eyes as he made his way out of his room. The plan in his head was to go straight to the bathroom to shower and wake up but he stopped in the hallway watching a scene unfold in the kitchen. Hwiyoung and Taeyang were both early morning people, and today was no exception. They were making breakfast and dancing along to music which was playing at a low volume. The gentle sunlight coming in through the windows made their skin glow and both had fluffy bed hair. Even in their old worn pyjamas, they looked perfect, smiling and helping each other with all the little tasks. Hwiyoung pulled Taeyang in for a soft kiss in the middle of it all and Chani swore he could have heard his heart breaking all over again. He hurried as quietly as he could to the bathroom, not that either of his roommates would have noticed his presence - they were so caught up in their own fairytale romance.

The water was scalding hot as it beat down on Chani's skin but he didn't care enough to turn the temperature down. After scrubbing his hair and body he stepped out of the shower, skin red raw and eyes swollen. He took longer than necessary washing his face and drying himself off, anything to delay walking back into the kitchen and pretending like the gentle love between his best friends wasn't paining him to see. They were both sitting at the table eating breakfast and called him over when he emerged, but he just waved to and continued to his room. 

Pulling on loose cotton bottoms and one of his favourite oversized t-shirts Chani took a deep breath and finally felt ready to face Hwiyoung and Chani. They were still sitting down, plates in front of them cleared of food. He croaked out a good morning and hoped they would think it was tiredness and not crying which caused his voice to be that way. There was a plate of breakfast sitting on the counter, obviously prepared for him. Grabbing a large mug of coffee, he went to join his two friends at the table.

 

"Morning Chani. How did you sleep?"

"Fine. Woke up early."

"We can see that. It's not like you to be awake before midday on Sundays."

"I was surprised too. I can get some work done though so it's not a bad thing."

"Did you want to come with us to the aquarium later? We're going around three."

"Maybe, I'll see how much I have to do."

"Alright. I'm going to head to the studio for a bit, see you guys later."

"Bye babe."

"See you later Taeyang."

 

With a kiss to Hwiyoung's cheeks and a pat on the top of Chani's head Taeyang left. Hwiyoung watched after him wistfully which made Chani snort into his pancakes. That provoked protests from his friend and they ended up squabbling and play fighting as Chani tried to finish eating. It was moments like this that was worth all the hurt, just laughing and messing around like friends were supposed to do. Chani and Hwiyoung worked together to clean up all the breakfast mess, joking all the while.

When they were finished Chani took out his laptop and started working on an assignment he had due in a few weeks. It never hurt to start early in final year. Hwiyoung went for a shower himself and came back in shorts and a tank top. Chani laughed at him, the weather wasn't exactly warm enough for that yet. But his friend just shrugged before lying down on the couch and setting up his own laptop, probably to watch dramas. It was comfortable, the two of them in the same room doing different things. This was the kind of companionship Chani loved. His peace didn't last long though, because soon Hwiyoung had cast aside his laptop in favour of watching Chani while he worked.

 

"It's rude to stare."

"I'm not staring, I'm watching."

"Same thing Hwi."

"No, it isn't."

"There's not even any point in arguing with you."

"Because you know I'm right."

"No, because I have too much work to do."

"Is that your Torts assignment."

"5000 words of pure misery."

"I thought it wasn't due until like the start of next month."

"Well yeah, but I may as well get started instead of trying to finish it all a few days prior."

"You're such a nerd."

"No I'm a geek, you're the nerd."

"Then what's Taeyang?"

"A dork."

 

Hwiyoung laughed at that, bright and high-pitched. They always joked that he was descendent from dolphins because of his laugh and how high he could make his voice go. Dawon joked that they must be distant relatives and no one disagreed. Hwiyoung went silent for a while and Chani thought he had won the debate, unfortunately, he was incorrect. His friend launched himself off the couch to stand right beside Chani, staring down at the top of his head while he was typing. Chani didn't say anything until Hwiyoung started playing with his hair.

 

"Hwi, come on I'm trying to get some work done."

"But it's Sunday, and the weather is really nice and I'm bored."

"Then go study, don't you have a test on Wednesday?"

"I studied for that already, and it's not graded so it doesn't matter."

"There's no such thing as too much study."

"Yes there is, it's called "what Chani is doing right now". Come on, let's take a break."

"You haven't done anything to deserve a break, and I've only written about 150 words."

"That's the perfect amount for a break!"

 

He sighed and looked up at his friend who was still messing with his hair. Hwiyoung grinned wickedly and Chani knew he was defeated. If he didn't do something with his friend he wouldn't get a moment's peace for the rest of the day. Saving his document, Chani closed down his laptop which brought about a cheer from his roommate. He was dragged to his feet and towards the door without any indication of where they were going. Stuffing feet into shoes and throwing on a jacket, Hwiyoung took Chani by the hand and marched him out of the apartment and downstairs.

It was a lovely day out, Chani relented as they walked towards Hwiyoung's favourite park. He had yet to release his grip on Chani's hand, almost as if he was worried that his friend would turn tail and run the second he had a chance. That was definitely the reason, but to anyone else who saw them it might just look like they were holding hands because they were on a date. Strolling through the park at 9 am on a Sunday meant it was peaceful, and Chani could almost imagine this was what it would be like to have a boyfriend. But he stopped himself from thinking those things, he didn't like giving himself false hopes. They reached the little bench by the water fountain which Hwiyoung loved so much and sat down. He didn't say anything about their hands which were still joined.

 

"Chani, did Tae talk to you yesterday?"

"Plenty, I would have been worried if he didn't."

"Funny, smartass. I meant did he talk to you about next Friday?"

"The dinner? Yeah, he mentioned it. Why?"

"You're going to come, right?"

"If I didn't you would probably cry like a baby and I don't want to be responsible for that on your anniversary, so yeah, I'll go."

"Thanks Chani."

"I don't know why you're thanking me. I'm going to spend the whole meal making fun of how sappy you two are. I'm also using this opportunity to take bets from people on which of you will cry first."

 

Hwiyoung punched his arm and they laughed. They spent a little longer at the fountain before Hwiyoung deemed the break had been long enough and they headed back to the apartment. He insisted the call into the corner store to pick up snacks and Chani just rolled his eyes and followed him in. Hwiyoung loved snacks and spent ages picking between the different ones he wanted, often calling Chani over to ask his opinion. Eventually, he got everything he wanted and they made their way to the checkout. The cashier at the till was someone he recognised from around campus, probably a student just working a part-time job. She smiled at them as they argued over who was going to carry what, and when she handed Chani back his change she called them a cute couple. He would have protested but Hwiyoung was already dragging him out of the store claiming he was going to miss his show if they didn't hurry back. Chani blamed him for taking so long to choose snacks and they bickered the whole way back to the apartment, but in the back of his mind, the girl's words echoed far too loudly. 

Chani made his friend put away all the snacks by himself and resumed his essay writing as best he could. Hwiyoung sat to watch his drama, munching away on some popcorn and Chani rolled his eyes. He got another chunk of text written uninterrupted before Taeyang arrived home, drenched head to toe in sweat but smiling brighter than the sun. Hwiyoung had his earphones in so he didn't notice his boyfriend was back until said person literally threw himself over the back of the couch to give Hwiyoung a hug. Needless to say, Hwiyoung screamed in ultrasonic tones and Chani burst into a fit of laughter. His deep chuckles were soon followed by Taeyang's giggles and Hwiyoung's breathy laughter too. After apologising to his boyfriend with a kiss, Taeyang went to shower and wash all the sweat from his skin. Chani smiled as he tried to refocus on the screen in front of him again.

Very soon after he left, Taeyang reappeared fresh as a daisy and suggesting they make lunch. Hwiyoung agreed happily which meant Chani was outnumbered, and so once again saving and closing his files he made room at the table for food. It was a common occurrence for him to be outnumbered since Hwiyoung and Taeyang usually agreed on everything. He couldn't say he ever minded though since it was usually related to food or movies. They had a simple lunch, chatting about their mornings and what things they had on in the coming week. Taeyang pouted when he discovered Chani had called him a dork and then laughed at him taking bets on them for crying. It was pleasant and after the finished and cleaned up Chani was able to start his work once again.

The couple disappeared for a while which wasn't unusual, Chani just plugged in his earphones and listened to some music. He got a decent amount done before he found himself losing focus. He sighed and decided to finish up for the moment, instead checking on his SNS accounts. It was only once he got to Tumblr that he remembered the picture which almost broke his heart yesterday. He stared at it for a good five minutes before he had the strength to actually reblog and tag it himself. Afterwards, he quickly shut down the website and went to get a drink of water. It wasn't fair that something as small as a picture could have such a huge effect on him, or that the reasons for his heartache were currently cuddled up together in their own bed. It was just after one o'clock, and he knew that a good friend of his would be working in the café on campus at this time. So he yelled to the room that he was going to the college and to text him if they needed anything, and before they could appear he hurried out.

Moonbin always knew exactly what he needed when he showed up in the little café. It was pretty quiet due to the nice weather and so once he had made Chani a double shot latte he took his break to sit with him. Bin was another friend he had made through dancing and was also a postgrad student in the university, he always got along well with Chani and was able to read his moods without asking. So today he sat beside Chani on one of the couches and wrapped a comforting arm around him, letting him know that he was there. Chani was always grateful to him for not asking too many questions and just providing a shoulder to lean on. Too soon Bin had to get back to work and Chani was finished his coffee. Thanking him and waving goodbye, Chani made his way out of the store and pondered what to do now.

He could go back to the apartment and try to do some more work, but he had a decent amount done thanks to his early start and he didn't think his head was in the right place. So instead he decided to go to the dance studio and just lose himself in the music and routine. Some of the older postgrads were there practising for a showcase they had coming up, but all of them knew Chani well and he wouldn't disturb them. So he changed into his gear that he kept in the lockers and with the music blasting through his earphones he started moving. Dancing was the best way he knew to get rid of any stress and tension in his body, and often it allowed him to turn off his mind for just a little while and not to think. A good rigorous session never failed to help clear his head, and so he threw himself wholeheatedly into practising the newest routine they had learned with the crew. 

One of the other students, Ten, waved at him as all the postgrads finished up, and he realised how long he must have been there. Checking his phone he saw it was twenty to three and he had multiple missed calls from both Hwiyoung and Taeyang. Sighing, he called Hwiyoung's number and put it on speaker as he gathered up his things. It picked up on the second ring.

 

"Chani! We've been trying to get a hold of you for ages."

"Sorry Tae, I went to the studio and didn't hear my phone."

"Are you still coming to the aquarium with us?"

"I don't remember agreeing in the first place."

"You said if you got enough work done, and I think you did plenty."

"No thanks to you Hwi."

"Just trying to help!"

"Come on Chani, have a shower in the studio and come with us?"

"Yeah! Come on geek, you'll love watching the fish and learning about stuff."

"No that's you, because you're a nerd."

"Hey!"

"Fine, I'll meet you guys there alright?"

"Yay! Ok just text us when you get off the bus."

"I will. See you later Tae."

"What about me?"

"Sorry, what was that? I can't seem to hear anything."

"Ya-"

 

Chani hung up mid-protest from Hwiyoung and shook his head. How did he always end up agreeing to these things? He went and had a quick shower to make himself a little more presentable, and after setting a reminder to come back to collect his dirty gym clothes Chani made his way to the bus stop. It was only a short ride to the aquarium and in no time he was sending a message into their group chat to say he had arrived. He easily spotted his two friends at the entrance, they looked like they had a halo of cute love energy surrounding them or something. Chani wondered if he should regret this decision, but it was too late as they spotted him and enthusiastically bounced on the spot for him to reach them.

The three of them headed inside and when Chani enquired about tickets Hwiyoung said they already bought them so they wouldn't have to waste time. Passing through the barriers Chani was immediately hit with the sense of awe he always got from places like this. His friends seemed to notice as they slowed down in order to walk at his pace. Chani hadn't been to the aquarium in a long time, and it was like the first time all over again. Taeyang giggled and Hwiyoung wrapped an arm around Chani's shoulder in order to keep him moving along. 

 

"Come on fish boy, there's lots to see and too little time."

 

They walked around all the tanks stopping to admire all the beautiful colours and how the fish moved. Chani was enthralled, he might have forgotten about his two friends if it wasn't for Hwiyoung on his left with his arm resting lightly on his shoulders and Taeyang on his right holding his hand gently. The two of them chatted in soft voices as they moved around, occasionally letting out a sound of amazement at some of the exhibits. The way the fish moved so gracefully through the water was mesmerising and Chani was certain that there would be plenty of photos of him with his mouth open in wonder by the end of the day. He wasn't sure how much time had passed before they decided to stop and get something to eat. The three of them sat around a small table in the corner of the food court, happily snacking on their various purchases. Chani felt a little dazed, but he was so incredibly happy. Taeyang squeezed up beside him and Chani put his head on the elder boy's shoulder and closed his eyes, totally content. He was roused from his blissful rest by a hand on his knee shaking him gently.

 

"Hey, Chani. Are you alright?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a little out of it, that's all."

"I'm happy, this is fun."

"We're glad you're happy Chani. Are you tired?"

"Noo~"

"That was cute, you never act cute. You're definitely tired."

"I'm the youngest here, I can act cute if I want."

"When have you ever wanted to act cute before?"

"Leave him alone Hwi, if he wants to be cute then let him."

"Thank you Tae~"

 

Chani smiled and nuzzled against Taeyang's neck. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, it felt far too intimate and domestic. He wasn't a part of want Hwiyoung and Taeyang had, but he wanted to be. And if this was the only chance he got to truly feel like this was real then he would take it - no matter the consequences for his heart when it was over. Taeyang just cooed at him and wrapped an arm securely around his waist. He let his other hand play with Chani's hair while Hwiyoung's hand never moved from his knee. Chani felt like he could fall asleep right there, but Taeyang was talking again. It was more like a whisper, but he could still make it out.

 

"Hwi, please can we tell him?"

"Not yet, we said we would wait until Friday."

"Look at him though, he is so soft right now. Please Hwi, I don't want to drag this on."

"In the aquarium though, really?"

"It makes him happy, why not?"

"I - I want it to be special."

"You don't think this is special?"

"Fine, but you have to wake him up."

"Deal."

 

He was left with confused thoughts running through his head as Taeyang lifted his head and shook him gently. Chani slowly opened his eyes and saw his two best friends smiling softly at him. He had no idea what they were talking about, but his mind immediately jumped to the worst. Hwiyoung squeezed his knee before looking to Taeyang for some sort of confirmation. Taeyang nodded and tightened his hold on Chani's waist.

 

"Hey Chani. You awake?"

"I wasn't sleeping."

"Sure you weren't, because those cute little snores are things you do when you're awake."

"I wasn't snoring."

"Whatever you say. Listen, me and Tae want to talk to you about something."

"Are you guys moving out?"

"What? Chani no no, it's nothing like that."

"Oh. Then what is it?"

"Tae and I, we - ummm. We've known each other for a little over three years now right? The three of us have. And, well - God why is this so hard."

"I thought you said you had this planned?"

"Yeah I did - for dinner on Friday. I wasn't prepared to do this right now."

"Do what? Guys what's going on?"

"Chani, you know Hwi and I love each other very much."

"Of course, everyone calls you guys the perfect couple."

"Right, but you know that we both love you too, don't you?"

"As my friends, sure."

"That's the thing Chani, it's not just as friends."

"Tae - what are you talking about?"

"Listen here geek, me and Tae both love you. Like, love loves you. The same way we love each other. And we really reeeally want you to be part of this."

"What are-"

"Chani, do you love us?"

"I mean, yeah, of course I love you two. You guys are my best friends and I -"

"No, not like that. Do you love us?"

"I - yeah. I do."

"Good, so then the feeling is triply mutual. And we want you to be part of what the two of us have."

"Chani, we want you to be our boyfriend, and we can be yours. The three of us, together."

"Are you guys being serious?"

"Yes, we are. So, Chani - will you date the both of us?"

 

Hwiyoung and Taeyang were both looking at him so expectantly and Chani just felt his heart overflow with joy. The two boys he had loved for years, his two best friends, they also felt the same. They wanted him to be a part of what they had. Chani couldn't find his words so instead, he just nodded his head vigorously, hoping the sentiment came across. It must have because Hwiyoung laughed and Taeyang pulled him in close to his chest. Chani could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, and underneath his cheek, he could feel Taeyang's too. He looked up and realised he was crying, which Hwiyoung laughed at again before leaning forward to wipe Chani's tears away. He was so happy he swears he thought his heart might burst right there and then. 

The rest of their time in the aquarium passed in a bit of a blur, but soon they were heading home in Taeyang's car with Hwiyoung and Chani both sitting in the backseat. Taeyang pouted and claimed it wasn't fair while Hwiyoung just stuck his tounge out and laughed. They reached the apartment, walking hand-in-hand with Chani in the middle and he had never felt as light as he did right then. It was still early but all his rollercoaster emotions had left him entirely exhausted. After taking their shoes off, Taeyang rang and ordered takeaway pizza for dinner and when it arrived the three of them collapsed together on the couch watching a film and stuffing their faces.

As they washed up later that night, Chani wondered how this day could possibly get better, and his question was answered for him when Hwiyoung stopped him from going to his own bedroom and instead dragged him into their shared one. He tackled Chani to the bed and pinned him down with an arm over his chest and a leg across his thighs. Chani laughed and struggled to break free, but he wasn't really trying that hard. Taeyang came in too and switched off the main light before lying down on the other side of him and wrapping an arm around his waist. Chani felt like he might literally combust. Hwiyoung pulled the covers up over the three of them but before Chani could drift to sleep a soft voice called him.

 

"Chani?"

"Yes Tae?"

"Do you think it would be ok if I give you a goodnight kiss?"

"I - umm, yeah, that's ok."

 

His face was lit up by the moonlight streaming in through the flimsy curtains, and Chani was left breathless at the sight. Taeyang leaned over to press a chaste kiss to his lips. It only lasted a few seconds but Chani felt his heart rate accelerate and his breathing hitched. When he pulled away Taeyang smiled brightly down at him and Chani couldn't stop the words spilling from his lips.

 

"I love you."

"I love you too Chani. And I also love the grump who is pretending to be asleep on your other side."

"I'm not a grump."

"Yes you are. C'mere."

 

Taeyang raised himself up on one arm and leaned over Chani to press a kiss to Hwiyoung's lips too. Before when he saw them being so soft and loving it would cause his heart to constrict with pain, but now all he felt was joy and love. They separated and Taeyang lay back down on his side, but Chani caught Hwiyoung's eyes staring at him.

 

"It's rude to stare."

"Not staring, watching."

"Same thing."

"No it's not. I'm going to kiss you now."

 

Before he could even say anything to protest Hwiyoung had cupped Chani's face in his hand and kissed him firmly. Chani felt his stomach curl and he was getting light headed by the time Hwiyoung finally broke apart. Chani was panting hard but his head was filled with fireworks. Hwiyoung smiled then and now Chani realised, it couldn't possibly get much better than this. The three of them fell asleep wrapped in love and one another arms, and if Chani missed his 9 am lecture the next morning, he wasn't going to complain. Because right there, surrounded by kisses and whispers of praise, Chani discovered that he was a perfect fit for what Hwiyoung and Taeyang had.


End file.
